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The Italian Gambling Authority (ADM) has officially launched the tender for the award of new Italian remote gambling licenses, marking a significant milestone in the Italian gambling regulatory landscape.
Current license holders and new entrants should note that the application process and requirements are more detailed than what occurred in the past, with a strict timeline and rigorous procedural steps. Applications are to be submitted online through the official procurement portal, www.acquistinretepa.it, between March 31, 2025, and 5:00 PM on May 30, 2025. Missing this deadline will result in inadmissibility.
How is the tender for the award of new Italian gambling licenses is going to work?
Applicants must prepare comprehensive documentation that demonstrates administrative compliance, technical capacity, and economic readiness. Detailed specifications for bid submissions include a variety of certifications attesting to the applicant’s operational standards. Importantly, a temporary bank guarantee of EUR 750,000 is required with the application, alongside proof of a EUR 560.00 contribution to the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC). Economic offers must include an irrevocable commitment to pay EUR 7 million for each license, divided between an initial payment upon award and a subsequent payment upon activation.
However, ADM has anticipated that during the course of the newt weeks potential applicants will be allowed to raise questions relating to the tender process, and ADM is expected to provide clarifications to ensure compliance and procedural transparency.
What are the evaluation criteria for applications?
To participate in the selection process, each applicant must ensure that they possess the necessary technical and IT tools in compliance with the requirements outlined in the administrative rules and related regulations. Specifically:
- Access to a public system for managing digital identities (SPID) or other electronic identification means enabling cross-border mutual recognition in accordance with the eIDAS Regulation, as well as an electronic identity card;
- A digital domicile or, for cross-border applicants with their legal or operational headquarters in an EEA member state, a qualified electronic delivery service address as per the eIDAS Regulation;
- The applicant legal representative (or an individual authorized with appropriate signing powers) must hold a valid digital signature certificate issued in compliance with eIDAS Regulation requirements.
Additionally, to submit the application, at least one authorized individual with the necessary powers to act on behalf of the applicant must first register and access the system.
The evaluation process emphasizes technological innovation, cybersecurity measures, environmental impact, and adherence to responsible gambling policies, gender, and labor inclusivity. ADM will assess the administrative documentation drafted in the course of the application together with the technical documentation, including the technical report which shall be drafted in accordance with the criteria set out by the technical rules and economic offers. Applications will be reviewed starting June 15, 2025, with the first phase concluding in a list of successful applicants.
A subsequent deadline will be set for additional documentation, including final bank guarantees and a batch of corporate documents.
Finally, while the current documentation does not address the extension of existing licenses beyond 2024, it is anticipated that ADM will issue separate guidance on this matter.
We are advising many companies on the application process. Feel free to contact us if you need any assistance. On the same topic, you can read the article “How the Italian Online Gambling Market is going to Change“
